Apparatus for applying a basting stitch to fabrics



Jan. 29, 1952 M, s, MALEK E TAL 2,583,582

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A BASTING STITCH TO FABRICS Filed July 24, 1947 ATTO R N EY Patented .an. 29, 1952 UNITED OFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A BASTING STITCH TO FABRICS Morris S. Malek and Jack H. Malek,

New York, N.`Y.

Application July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,1;874 12 claims. (ci. ilse-174) This invention relates to improvements in the art of sewing, particularly with reference to long needle sewing machines.

One object of the invention is to furnish an improvement in the art whereby a fabric is fed onto an axially fixed needle penetration of which is facilitated by oscillation of the needle; a further advantage of the oscillation is that the needle can remain threaded at all times.

Heretofore it has been proposed to use rotating long sewing needles, but these have been found to be impractical because of the tendency of the fabric to wrap itself around the needle. Another disadvantage is that the needle has to be threaded after each sewing operation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid these difficulties by the use of a needle movable about its axis for more rapid penetration, while -maintaining the thread in a substantially straight line.

Another advantage of the invention is that the sewing may be performed without requiring a rethreading of the needle after each reciprocation, and with the needle eye being in a generally constant position after sewing an article to facilitate threading if the yarn became accidentally broken because of a defect therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means capable of performing the several functions of serving: as a compacting device for the crimped fabric to prevent spreading of the folds thereof which would increase frictional engagement with the needle; as a stripping device for causing rapid and convenient removal of the crimped sewed fabric from the needle; and as a guide for the needle to prevent lateral deflection and possible breakage thereof and whereby a thinner needle could be used than would otherwise be possible; and it is to be understood that the invention contemplates different embodiments adapted to perform any one or more of these functions, for example by the use of a different device for each of the functions.

Another object of the invention .is to furnish improved means for moving apart both of the crimping rollers, particularly with the initial movement of the upper roller preceding that of the lower roller whereby the latter is `capable of serving as a fabric support to facilitate the safe and accurate initial manual engagement of the fabric with the point of the needle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

t With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features, combinations `horizontal frame bar I9.

and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated` bythe same reference characters throughout the several Views.4

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts` in section showing a somewhat diagrammatic view of a machine embodying the invention. y

Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof with parts removed. Y u

, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig` 1 with a part broken away.

Fig.l 4 is a fragmentary end view of an eccentric drive portion as indicated by lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined, but useful embodiments may be produced involving less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing a preferred exemplication of the invention.

lReferring in detail to the drawing, IU denotes a machine embodying the invention, adapted for the sewing of long seams, as for example in neckties. This machine includes a frame II having a base I2 from which rise the front standard I3 on one side thereof and the rear standards I4 and I5, the latter being of sufficient height to be connected to the front standard I3 by a horizontal upper frame bar I6. Interconnecting the standards I4 and I5 is a table portion I'I. Other standards such as I8 rise from the base I2 at the rear thereof and carry a table portion or Fixedly connected to the latter and to the frame element I'I is a suitable guide member 20 which is preferably in the form of a T-bar for a purpose hereinafter described. This frame is merely illustrative and forms no part of the invention except as hereinafter described.

Mounted onV the frame II are the respective upper and lower crimping rollers 2|, 22 which have meshing, crimping teeth 23 and central needle guide grooves 24 as is well known in the art. The upper roller is journalled at 25 on movable means or arm 2E pivotally mounted at Z1 on the standard l5. I'he lower roller 221 is jour- 3 nalled at 28 on movable means or arm 29 pivoted on the stub shaft 30 which is affixed to the standard I4. While the upper roller 2| moves gravitationally downward, the lower roller 22 is upwardly moved by power means such as a tension coil spring 3l connected at its lower end to an arm 32 of the arm 29, and at itsupper end to a bracket 33 affixed to a frame bar 34 which is connected to the standard I3. Upward movement of the roller 22 by the coil spring 3| may be adjustably limited by a settable screw 35 of an arm 36 connected to the arm 29, the screw being adapted to abut the standard I4. `.In this way, when the rollers are in operative interengagement, the grooves 24 register with each other in alinement with the long sewing needle 3l hereinafter described.

For moving the rollers 22 and 23 away from each other, manual or automatic means may illustratively comprise a tension element or rope 38 trained over a pulley 39 journalled at 40 on the frame bar I6. This element 38 thence leads into connection at V4I with a foot pedal lever 42 pivotally mounted at 43 on the base I2. The lever 42 may have a laterally extending horizontal arm 42a as clearly shown in Fig. 2 so as to bring the connection 4I into the vertical plane of the pulley 39. A wire element 44 Vconnected tothe arm 32V hasY lost motion connection with the foot pedal as by extending through a hole 45 thereof and beingl headed at its lower end at 46. The relationship ofthe parts is such that when the foot pedal is depressed, the upper roller 2-IY is elevated to a sufficient degree for easy manual initial feeding access of the fabric to the point of theneedle, while the lower roller 22 remains fully elevated as determined by the stop screw 35 to serve as a temporary table or support for the fabric and to facilitate theaccurateand safe initial engagement of the fabric with the point of theneedle. That point liesV along a vertical line passing through the centrer of roller 22 and will lie partially within the groove 24, butin such a manner as to permitY access to the needle point. Then the pedal is released to drop the upper roller vinto operative engagementwith the lower` roller for the crimpingV sewing operation. AfterV the latter has been completed, the pedall 42 is fully depressed to move both of the rollers away-from each other so that the fabric can Vbe readily removed from the needle. Now the pedal may be released just enough to return the lower roller to its fully raised position withoutV permitting lowering of the upper roller, or permitting only a limited degree' of -such lowering so that the upperroller sha-ll not interfere with theinitial manual feed of another fabric to the needle point as above described. Y

A motor 4lA mcuntedonv the base I2 has pulleys 48, 49 the former of which is connected by-a belt 58 to apulley 5I journalled on the stub shaft30 and connected by a belt 52 to a pulley` 53 con-v nected to the stubshaft-28. This illustrates any suitable drive for one ofl the rollers, the teeth of which will turn the otherroller. The crimping sewing action may now proceed with the fabric moving along a` device 54 which may embody various guides for the fabric, for example such as those showmin Patent No. 2,482,857,7issued September 27, 1949, .to Morris S. Malek for Centering Guide for Necktie Linings. The table 54.

and lthe guide device which it may embody, Yare fixedto the'frame bar 34. 1

YCarried by the frame bar.I9 is a bearing; mem- Vloer. 55 for a shaft 55 held against axial movement by disc 51 affixed thereto and by a thrust collar 58. The shaft 56 is axially perforated to receive the needle, the latter being clamped therein by a set screw 59 which also serves to secure the collar to the shaft. An eccentric lug 68 on the disc 5l is pivotally connected by a rod 6I to a lost motion or universal bearing device 62 aixed to a disc 83 that is journalled on shaft 64v mounted on a :bracket affixed to the standard I8. A pulley 66 on the stub shaft 64 is connected by a belt 6'! to the motor pulley 49. The arrangement is such that the motor 4l causes oscillatory movement 0f the needle 37 at any required speed and for any desired angular movement. The connection to the motor pulley 49 may be effected by connecting the belt 67 to a pulley 58 on a counter shaft 69 to which is also afxed a pulley 'lll connected by a belt 'IlV to the motor pulley 49. Illustratively the needle may have 200 oscillations per minute, and its oscillation may vary between l5 and 30 degrees, but it may be greater or less, and these gures are given without limi-v tation. A spool l2 mounted at 'I3 furnishes the thread 'I4 to the eye of the needle which is located closely adjacent to the point thereof in accordance with usual practise.

Mounted on the T-.bar 20 is a member or head 'I5 formed with a longitudinal guidegroove 'I5 for appropriately engaging the T-bar. Therhead 'I5 is furnished with a through4 opening 'I'I for the needle 3lY and an opening llo; for the thread 'I4 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In this way the member 'I5 serves as a needle guide movablealong` the bar 29. to prevent vlateral deflection and breakage of the needle and to permit the use of thinner needles.

Any suitable yielding means is provided such as a tension coil spring 'I8 trained over a pulley 19 on a stub shaft 8l]v secured to the bar 20, said spring being connected to a lug 8i onthe base I 2. This yielding means 'I8 is sufficiently weak so that the head 'I5 can be rearwardly moved by the fabric as it is being crimped and sewn by the machine. Of course, frictional resistance at the bar 20 is reduced in any suitable `manner as by the use of roller bearings not shown. The action of the means 'I8 need be no more than to maintain the crimped. folds in closed condition, that is to prevent the folds from spreading as they leave the rollers, and thus increasing frictional resistance with the needle. Diiferently stated, the small acute angles instead of large or obtuse angles are maintained between the folds of the fabric so that the'holes formed therein by the needle and to remain inV alinement.-

The head l5 may also serve as a stripper for the fabric. After the fabric has been. completely sewn, the head 'I5 may be forcibly advanced byV any suitable means, manually or automatically, as for example, by an arm 82 axed to the head l5, and laterally bent and extending forwardly through a guide hole 83 in the frame member 34. After the sewing has been completed, and the upper and lower rollers moved apart, the arm 82 is pulled forwardly sothat the crimped fabric is rapidly and conveniently stripped from the needle. I

Carried by the head I5 is a gripping means such as a stripspring 84 afxed thereto at 85 and adapted to clip the fabric against the top surface of the head. A finger piece 86 on the spring may be used to upwardly deflect theV same to engage and clamp the fabric. The device 84 is of particular utility in connection with the sewing of linings to neckties, in which thev necktie or outer material extends beyond the ends of the lining. In that case, when the rollers are separated and the lining and necktie material are being manually engaged with the point of the needle, the lining material may be secured at its end by the spring 84 to thus facilitate handling and centering of the lining with respect to the necktie. The seam eventually sewn extends the full length of the lining, but of course terminates short of the ends of the necktie material as is well known in the art.

After the necktie and lining have been sewn and while the fabric is on the needle, the thread is grasped at the eye of the needle and pulled through the eye while the fabric is being stripped from the needle. This could not be accomplished with a rotary needle. In so pulling the thread through the needle eye together with the necktie material, a sufficient length of thread can be pulled through with ease for the full length of the expanded stitched seam, after which the thread is cut, leaving an excess of thread on the needle for the sewing of another seam without permitting the thread to slip out of the needle eye.

The angle of needle oscillation may vary with Aa change of resistance penetration which may be due to any cause; for example, if a heavier fabric is sewn, the angle of oscillation may be increased. The eccentric means for oscillating the needle may be regarded as incorporating any well known adjustable portions for this purpose, for instance, at the connecting rod bearings thereof, to vary the throw of the rod.

We claim:

1. Apparatus including sewing means having a'longitudinally fixed needle, means for crimping a fabric and advancing same along said needle, with the needle adapted to pierce the fabric through the crimped portions thereof; and means movable along the needle for stripping the crimped fabric therefrom.

2. Apparatus including sewing means having a long longitudinally fixed piercing needle and crimping means for fabric operatively associated therewith to advance the crimped fabric along said piercing needle as the operation of the crimping means progresses, and fold compacting means yieldably resisting the advance of the crimped fabric only enough to maintain the crimped portions closely folded, whereby the crimped portions are prevented from expanding and frictionally binding on the needle.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the fold compacting means includes a fabric gripping member for clipping an end of the fabric thereto.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fold compacting means includes a needle guide member and a guide therefor, and a member serving to exert a yielding but constant force tending to advance the guide member but adapted to yield to permit reverse movement of the guide member under the force of a crimped fabric that is being fed to the needle by the crimping means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said fold compacting means is formed with a needle guide member, and manually operable means extending from said compacting means for forcibly advancing the latter along the needle in the direction to strip the crimped fabric therefrom.

6. Apparatus including sewing means having a needle and crimping means for crimping :and advancing a fabric onto the needle, movable guided means in the path of the advancing fabric movable along the needle as the fabric advances, and yielding means opposing such movement of said movable guided means, the latter contacting the advancing fabric and being advanced by direct agency of the fabricas fed from the crimping means, with the fabric overcoming the resistance of the yielding means.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including manually operable means carried by said movable means for returning the latter thus stripping the fabric from the needle.

8. An apparatus comprising a sewing eyed needle mounted for solely oscillatory movement on its longitudinally fixed axis, the angle of oscillation being predetermined and limited to less than 45 to either side of a vertical plane including the axis of the needle, and means for imparting said oscillatory movement to the needle to facilitate penetration of the fabric being sewn.

9. An apparatus comprising a needle mounted for solely oscillatory movement on its longitudinal axis, crimping means for a fabric cooperating with the needle so that the latter penetrates the crimps of the fabric, and means for imparting said oscillatory movement to the needle.

10. An apparatus comprising a sewing means, including upper and lower fabric crimping rollers and a long oscillatory needle, means for movably mounting the rollers for movement toward and away from each other, the rollers and said mounting means being so constructed and arranged as to move the upper roller to a predetermined level before the lower roller begins its downward movement.

11. An apparatus comprising a sewing eyed needle mounted for solely oscillatory movement through an angle on its longitudinally fixed axis, means operatively associated with said needle for crimping and moving a fabric longitudinally onto the needle in crimped condition. and means for causing oscillation of the needle about its longitudinal axis through a predetermined angle.

12. An apparatus comprising a long pointed longitudinally fixed needle, crimping means positioned at the point of said needle for crimping and advancing a fabric on to and along the needle in crimped condition, releasable securing means for an end of the fabric mounted to move along the needle in the path of the advancing crimped fabric, and guide means for supporting the securing means in its movement along the needle.

MORRIS S. MALEK. JACK H. MALEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 363 Turner Mar. 25, 1856 Re. 12,724 Cohn Nov. 26, 1907 1,806,885 Bauwens May 26, 1931 2,098,009 Newman et al. Nov. 2, 1937 2,303,380 Naftali et al Dec. 1, 1942 

